Fabes999's Summary Challenge: Joy's Birthday
by A Reviewing Reader
Summary: It's Joy's birthday and nobody has remembered. They all are celebrating Nina's birthday and Joy is feeling forgotten. Will she spend her entire birthday alone or will her knight in shining armor will come? Rated T for swearing in later chapters.
1. Wake Up Call

Fabes999, it's finally done! So this chapter is dedicated to you, since this IS your challenge, after all.

Disclaimer: I do not own House of Anubis, but I AM excited for the new season in 2012!

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><p>Chapter 1: Wake Up Call<p>

I awoke to the sound of an alarm clock screeching. No, wait, not an alarm _clock_, my stupid phone's alarm.

I groaned, closing my eyes to try and grasp back the thin veil of sleep that had been pulled away from me by that stupid noise. When the noise grew even louder and more obnoxious, I blindly grabbed for my phone on the bedside table.

I slapped my hand on the general area of the cacophony of my alarm bell. But, of course, being clumsy me, I knocked over the glass of water that had been sitting there since last night, and it fell to the floor. There was a soft thud, but no loud shattering to be heard of. My mind attached to the memory of my father adding a nice carpet in my room, one that stretched below my immense, full bed, and the bedside tables that sat on either side. The glass must have landed on the carpet; good thing it did not break, I would be in so much trouble.

I tucked my head into the soft nook of my feather pillow, relaxing into the bed to return to my dreamland. But as I began to count sheep, the sheep turned into the months of the year: January, February, March, April . . . Until finally I reached July, and that sheep would not move. It stayed in its spot and grazed, eating the lush green grass that was the beautiful landscape of my dream.

Then, the dream changed and I was in a shop that sold pets, specifically birds. I really did not know how I knew that one specific detail, while the other important details like what my surroundings looked like and why I was there were completely unknown. I continued to walk into the blur of color that was the pet shop, and came upon a row of brightly colored song birds. They were the only thing in the shop that was clear and focused, and their bright eyes watched my warily, seeing if I was a danger or a friend to them.

I reached out my hand; not to pet them, but to offer my hand as a form of respect to them: if they bit me, they did not want anything to do with me, but if they calmed down, I could go closer to them.

The birds made no movement to hurt me, so I walked forward. They began to trill soft tunes, and I smiled as I listened.

They sang seven notes, one for each note in an octave. But the eighth bird in the row, who I thought would be singing the last note of the octave, began to sing "Happy Birthday" to me.

"Happy birthday!" it shrieked. I tilted my head in confusion. What was it talking about?

"Happy birthday!" it repeated, unfurling its prettily colored wings. The birds all began to wail "birthday", and I sat up in my bed, wide awake. I slowly realized two things . . .

One, my dreams were weird. I have no idea how my mind thought that using singing birds and sheep with the names of months splattered on their sides would help me wake up.

Two, today was my birthday: July 7th. And, it was also Nina Martin's birthday, the one who is the real Chosen One.

I peeled the covers of my purple duvet away from my body, and slowly sat up in bed. Looking out the window, I saw that it was a bright and cheery morning on July 7th. I could just imagine my mother saying a weather forecast the minute she went outside,

"A warm, sunny day in the town of Baths. No chance of showers, only a few stray clouds, and a bunch of smiles and sunscreen. So head down to the beach, and have a good time! This has been Marcella Mercer with the weather report."

My father and I would laugh at her impersonations of the weather forecasters, but the weather would stay true to her predictions. When she claimed it to be cool and windy, nature would comply, giving us freezing temperatures that made many of our friends have to stay inside for warmth. If my mother declared that there was to be light snow, but enough to build a snowman, we would have a couple feet of snow that day, even if it was a clear day. It was as if Mother Nature took my mother's advice to heart and followed her guidance.

She was a beautiful woman, inside and out. Her looks were amazing . . . she had olive skin that anyone would kill to have, and the light makeup she wore only complimented her exotic look; long, chocolate brown locks fell down her back in a cascade of silky hair; big, almond brown eyes framed with long black lashes; and her body was just to die for: a curvy figure with long legs that made her reach a height of five foot six.

Sometimes I miss her. Everything about my mother was amazing: the way she smiled at a ridiculous joke; the way she would laugh about anything and shrug it off, unlike my father and I who take everything to heart; the way she would hold me in her arms if I ever got hurt.

Suddenly, a drop of water appeared on my pajama pants. I looked up, thinking that the ceiling was leaking. The ceiling was perfectly fine, no water spots or anything. Another line of water was trickling down my neck. Then I realized that I was the one crying.

I pressed the heels of my palms to my eyes, quickly brushing the tears away. I shook my head to clear the sad memories away, closing my eyes to try and calm myself down. _Joy Mercer does not cry, I am so much stronger than that,_ I said to myself.

Taking in a deep breath through my nose, steeling myself for the rest of the day, I opened my eyes, and stood up to get dressed.

I took a quick ten-minute shower, brushed my teeth, and blow-dried my wet hair. I dressed in a gray, sleeveless ruffle dress that tied at the nape of my neck. I added a few black bangles to my wrist and a pair of black, glass dangling earrings that hung to my chin. I looked in the mirror. _There_ was the popular, always in control, Joy Mercer that everyone loved.

"You are great, you are the best," I whispered to my reflection. "You are not afraid of anything."

With those words, my confidence was boosted, and I slipped on a pair of black, three-inch heels. I walked out of the door, grabbing a gray, knit purse on the way out, and descended the stairs.

"Dad! I'm going to Amber's for a while!" I called once I reached the front door.

There was no answer, so I went into the kitchen, wrote a note to him saying I would be away for the day, but would call later, and left it on the counter. I walked out of the house, locking the door, and called a cab.

I gave the cab driver Amber's address and he began to drive. The engine made soft humming noises as he drove, while I pulled out my phone to check for birthday texts. My heart fell to the floor at seeing the blank screen; no one had texted me yet.

I tucked my phone back into my purse, sighing to myself. _I bet it's because there is a surprise party for my birthday at Amber's house_, I thought, reassuring myself.

_Yours and Nina's_, a secret voice whispered.

I cringed, shaking the thoughts away. _No. Don't think about her. This is your day._

I tuned into the cab driver's rambling voice. Then I realized he had been talking to me for a while.

"Miss? Miss! Hey, lady!" he shouted at me. The man was turned around in his seat, glaring at me.

"Yes, what is it?" I snapped, breaking through my reverie.

"We're here," he said, holding out a meaty palm for money.

I huffed, rolling my eyes. I stuffed my hand in my purse to grab for my wallet, fishing out the required amount of money to pay him. I smacked the money into his palm and opened the door to get out.

"You're welcome!" he called as he revved the engine.

I waved my hand in reply, striding toward the black, iron-wrought, front gate of Amber's huge house, or mansion was more like it. One of the intricate-looking iron gates was open slightly, and I pushed my way through it.

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><p>I hope you guys liked it! I finally got this in after so long... And this will probably be a four- or five-shot story... Maybe longer, idk yet.<p>

But! I have typed about half of it up, so updates will be more frequent than Only A Dream?

And to those who are about to flame me for not updating OaD?, I'm so sorry to you guys. I'm just under massive writer's block, and I'm trying to get through a few chapters ahead of time to attempt to have more frequent updates. It will be before November, I can promise you that, but I'm going to just take a break from that for a bit...

Anyways, please review this! Chapter 2 coming soon!

~Ary


	2. Not My Party

As you read, you may be able to tell that Joy had quite the colorful language. (It's a bit obvious-I hope you realize that she swears. And it gets worse in later chapters, by the way.) I kind of imagine her that way, not really caring about waht others think, swearing like a sailor, and being a bit shallow. But she has a good heart, as you reader(s) will find out!

Disclaimer: I own HoA. *drinks Veritaserum* Okay, okay. I lied, I don't own it. And I also like to stay up late and eat snacks in the middle of the night... *smacks self* Why am I telling you this?

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><p>Chapter 2: Not My Party<p>

I stopped in my tracks at the sight of her front yard. It was gorgeous; a stunning green lawn with a stone-paved walk towards the front door, beautiful flowers in soft brown soil were encircled by stones, and there were even little marble statues of angels and cherubs in various positions that were scattered around the yard.

"God, Amber. Stop being so damn rich," I muttered to myself as I made my way through the amazing yard.

Soon, I was at the front doors, which, yes, showed off Amber's money. They were huge oak doors, at least seven feet tall, and had tarnished silver knockers and silver door handles. One of these, also, was slightly opened, and I peered in curiously.

The lights were all off, but the huge windows in the room let in the natural sunlight that illuminated the vast room. There were glass tables on the sides of the front parlor/living room, and they were decorated with party streamers and platters of food. There was also a pile of colorfully wrapped presents near the curving staircase on the right side of the room. Across the banister of the stairs, there was a banner that was semi-blocked from my view, but I did see the words: _Happy Birthday_.

I opened the door to Amber's house, smiling widely. Anticipating the shout of surprise by all of my friends, but wanting to prolong the surprise even more, I quietly shut the door behind me. I turned back around, strode forward, and waited for my surprise.

"Fabian! Where are you taking me?" A girl's voice laughed through the huge doors, echoing around the empty room. The voice confused me for a few seconds, and I slowly turned my head towards the sound.

A shaft of light filled the room, and I knew the door had opened. "Huh, that's odd. Amber said she would keep the door open. Anyways, open your eyes." When I overheard that quiet, _very_ familiar voice reverberate throughout the room, I stopped turning my head to look at them. That could only be one person: Fabian.

Suddenly, the lights flooded the room and a huge chorus of "Surprise!" rang in the air. I spun back around to face the five hidden people that had revealed themselves. There they were: Amber, Alfie, Patricia, Jerome, and Mara; all of my old housemates (besides Nina and Fabian, who stood behind me, and Mick, who I guess had wandered off to snack on more food).

The girl gasped and said, "You guys!" I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Happy birthday, Nina!" a high-pitched voice that could only belong to Amber resonated throughout the room.

The blood running through my veins froze in its tracks. I literally turned to stone, into a statue.

_Nina? Did she say_ Nina_?_ my mind asked. I tried to comprehend this new statement. _Wh-What about me? Is anyone going to wish me a happy birthday?_

"Oh! Hey Joy!" Patricia said. I lifted my head, seeing her pretty red hair was curled into ringlets down her back; even her fake highlights were curled. She never did anything with her hair unless it was a _really_ special occasion-not even for _my_ birthdays in the past.

"And . . . happy birthday to Joy!" Patricia cheered, trying to lead everyone to wish me a good birthday too. Everyone gave a mumbled sound of the phrase, nothing like the huge chorus I had come to expect. Not even the one that Nina had gotten; it was just a pathetic little cheer.

"Hey, guys," I said. "Um, what's going on?" I tried to crack a smile, but to me it just seemed completely fake.

"Uh, we were just throwing a surprise party for Ni- I mean you and Nina!" Amber told me, adjusting her baby blue sundress. She did not meet my eyes, which did not make me feel any better; it meant she was guilty of something, I knew it.

_They forgot your birthday, Joy. They. Forgot,_ my mind repeated over and over. _That's what they were guilty of._ I pushed away the negative thoughts, silently trying to swallow the sudden lump in my throat.

"Yeah. We were all waiting for both of you to come in," Alfie added, lacing an arm around Amber's shoulder. Amber rested her head on his shoulder, still avoiding my gaze. Since when were those two together? I thought Amber was rejecting Alfie, they were never going out when I left . . .

"We made you a cake, too! Trudy didn't even help, it was all us!" Mara put in. I turned to her, seeing Jerome with his arm around her, his hand playing with her curly hair. Was everyone now coupled up into the craziest pairs?

Jerome pointed with his free hand to the table nearest him, gesturing to a lovely cake decorated with white and yellow frosting. There were frosting flowers that adorned the bottom of the cake, and they were beautifully crafted, I did not believe for one second that any of my housemates had made them. I also noticed that the cake was made of chocolate, and they _knew_ I preferred vanilla.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "I don't really like chocolate or white and yellow frosting, but I'll try anything." I had to let the last sentence out, it was going to bug me for ages, even if I did sound like a whiny bitch.

"Oh, right. Well, we had chosen the flavors that Nina liked . . ." Fabian trailed off, and I finally met the eyes of the boy who should have known all of these specific details about me. His blue eyes were honest and gave a familiar sparkle that was nothing new to me. But the words were.

_Nina . . . Nina . . . Nina . . ._ Her name swirled and spun through my mind. Giving off a loud, awful echo that left a crack in my heart. _Everything is about Nina. She is the Chosen One. She replaced you as the popular girl of the house. She is Amber, Mara, and Patricia's best friend. She is Fabian's girlfriend. She is the _new you_._

I had to look away from Fabian's blue eyes, focusing on the pretty marble flooring with bits of sparkling gems interspersed throughout. I clenched my fists, digging my manicured nails into my palms.

Finally, _she_ spoke: "Joy? Are you okay?"

I closed my eyes, flinching slightly at the sound of her voice. For a moment, I had forgotten she was there. I took a deep breath, swallowing back the sobs I wanted to cry right then and there. But, again, I was not a crier; Joy Mercer did _not_ cry.

Nina looked really nice. Her normally frizzy hair was straightened and pulled into a messy bun with a few straggling locks on the side of her face. She was wearing a simple dark blue sundress with a bit of 1950's flair. There was a bit of embroidery at the ruffled neckline and a thin black, woven belt tied at the waist of the skirt. On the hem and the ruffle, there was a white trim, which complimented the colors nicely. She wore black, lace-up boots that were at least three-and-a-half inch heels with black lace tights. As accessories, Nina just had dark blue heart studs as earrings and a simple blue band with a black stone as its centerpiece on her index finger.

I had to admit: she looked incredible. The look was simple, yet understated, and fit Nina very nicely. For her, less was so much more. And I knew that no matter what I did, I would never be able to do the same.

I answered her question: "Yes, Nina. I'm fine. Let's just eat that cake already," I gave her a small, forced smile.

Fabian, who was in his usual plaid shirt, only with a pair of nice pants, guided Nina to the cake table. I followed, keeping my head down, trying to not look at anyone.

The sixteen candles that were on the top of the cake were lit with small yellow flames, which Nina and I blew out after everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to us, only including my name as an afterthought to the song. Not even Patricia, my supposed best friend, stuck up for me. I was truly alone.

Amber gave both me and Nina a knife to cut the cake. I tried to steady my hand but ended up cutting myself by accident. No one really came to help me, they were too busy fawning over Nina and her birthday wish.

I walked up the stairs to Amber's bathroom that I still remembered from so many years before, and every step I took was like a blow to my pride. When I reached the top, my pride had crumbled to bits, and I knew that my friends had abandoned me. If not abandoned, then forgotten me.

I entered the familiar bathroom that I remembered when I had been here a few years ago for my birthday; back when everyone still knew me, talked to me, liked me. When the house was my family. Now I had no one but a bitter father and a bunch of friends who were ignoring me. And my mother, but only in my heart; she would never be able to hug me and tell me everything was alright when I knew everything was so wrong.

I mulled over these thoughts as I washed my hands and bandaged the cut on my hand. I watched my reflection and, seeing my eyes shining with soon-to-be tears, I sucked in a quick breath. Again suppressing the urge to cry, I looked away and went back downstairs.

As I reached the top of the stairs, I spied them opening presents. What about the cake? Even though it was not my favorite kind of cake, I still wanted some of my sixteenth birthday cake. I wondered if I had any presents, since they had forgotten everything else about my birthday.

I heard Nina gasp in shock. "Oh my gosh . . . This is gorgeous." Everyone agreed, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the present. I craned my neck around to try and see what the present had been.

Nina put down a small black box, filled with a layer of red velvet, on to the glass table near the staircase. It must have been expensive if it contained red velvet. Then, she held up a silver chain with a gorgeous heart pendant at the center. Even from here, the heart glittered a brilliant sapphire in the sunlight drifting through the windows.

From the top of the staircase, I could see that the pendant was the outline of a heart, and the perimeter was encrusted with dark blue gems that looked like sapphires. It was, to put it plainly, magnificent. Again, simple and understated, like Nina: it fit her personality perfectly.

"Here, let me put it on you," Fabian said.

He took the chain at both ends, stood, and walked behind her. She held up her hair while he locked the chain together, letting the heart rest just below her collarbone.

The rest of the house was watching their every move, taking it in like it was a cheesy American film with cliche plot lines. The ones where the guys always got the girl with a glamorous present.

Fabian said, "It's gorgeous-like you." A ridiculous line that would make me laugh if I did not know Fabian. Even from way up here, I could tell he was dead serious. It was his expression: the unwavering gaze, the tone of determination in his voice, the set look in his eyes. In my heart, I knew it went so much deeper than that.

Fabian really loved Nina.

My mind automatically rejected the idea of him loving anyone but me. _That was the past Joy. This is the present,_ I said to myself.

Nina glanced down at the glittering gem that rested over her heart, smiling slightly, a rosy blush over her cheeks. "It's perfect," she murmured.

She turned her head to meet Fabian's loving gaze, put a hand in his messy brown hair, and pressed her lips to his.* Everyone else said, "Aw!" at the sweet and romantic scene. Everyone but me.

That kiss was the dagger that shattered my fragile heart.

I could not take any more. I raced down the stairs, bumping into Nina on the way out. I glanced quickly back at her, with a short apology in my eyes that I hoped she would understand. Nina and Fabian had stopped kissing, but her hazel eyes stared into mine with confusion. She did not know what she did wrong.

She should know why I was leaving. _She_ was the reason.

Tears finally escaped my eyes, ruining my eyeliner and mascara, creating black tear tracks down my face which was just one of the worst looks of anyone. I tried brushing them away with the back of my hands, but they just kept coming.

I burst through the front door, running through the glorious marble sculptures and down the lovely stone walk. I had to stop at the gate, fumbling for the lock at the bottom of the gate. Once I had figured that out and unlatched it, I continued to sprint through to the open road. I did not bother to call a cab, I simply ran to the corner of the pavement, sat down, and cried my heart out.

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><p>Fabian is awesome and gives Nina pretty jewelry! I wish I could get pretty jewelry... Heck, I wish I was dating someone... 3 (Wait, the heart symbol doesn't show up. Okay then: less than/three).

Ahem, let's not get into my non-existent love life. So...

See? Under all of that foul language, Joy has a heart. That, was shattered to pieces by her crush who gave his girlfriend a gorgeous necklace...

*clears throat* Anyways. Thank you for reading, you are very awesome for doing so. (Hmm, just realized as I'm writing this I'm saying it to myself in a British accent. That is what happens when you watch British YouTubers for a few hours every day, you begin to sound like them... o_O)

The asterisk is because the scene was imagined like Rose and Jack's kiss from the movie Titanic. Yes, that cheeesy kiss was the basis for Nina and Fabian's cheesy kiss. (:

Must sleep...

~Ary


	3. A Gift From Someone Unexpected

Disclaimer: House of Anubis is not mine, nor probably won't ever be. (Awful grammar, I know, but it gets the point across.)

This is tremendously late, but _quel dommage_, I'm still going to finish it. Fabes999, keep reading, even though the contest is over!

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><p>Chapter 3: A Gift From Someone Unexpected<p>

Crying on the curb for who knows how long, I soon created a small puddle of tears on the road. I tried finding a tissue or two in my purse, but there was none. I just slumped in my position, realizing that no one was coming to comfort me.

In that moment, I wanted nothing more to be with my mother. I wanted to feel her soft embrace, warm and strong, that would protect me from any harm. I wanted her to whisper sweet, loving words in my ear, to be a child once more and not worry about anything. I wanted to just be with her again, for her to take away the pain I felt and make everything all right.

My friends forgot all about me; they just _dropped_ me for that Nina girl. I was completely alone, there was no one to help and comfort me. She replaced me. I hated her for doing I hated myself for hating her.

"Joy? Are you okay?" a voice asked me.

I slowly stood up, saying, "What?"

He placed a hand on my shoulder, making me turn to face him. "You're not okay, are you?"

I lifted my chin to meet his pale blue eyes that were full of concern. I had finally stopped crying, and I could tell that the dried tear tracks on my face made me look like I had on a bleeding raccoon mask. I took a deep breath and grabbed his t-shirt, buried my face in it. I began to cry once more and he put his arms around me, softly smoothing down my hair as the tears leaked onto his shirt's fabric. He then rested his chin on my hair as my body shook from the sobs.

"It's not fair," I sobbed. "She gets everything. She even got him. No one remembers me or cares about me."

"Shh," Mick said. "It's alright, Joy. You're okay."

"No, it's not okay! My friends have deserted me and I'm all alone!" I exclaimed.

"Joy! Where are you- Oh good, Mick, you found her," Patricia said from my left, sounding breathless. "Hey guys, she's over here!" Footsteps clattered against the pavement, voices of my housemates surrounded me, and gentle hands were placed on my shoulders.

"Joy, why'd you run off like that?" Mara asked softly to my right.

"We were just about to go grab you to give you your presents," Amber said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Amber hold up a nicely-wrapped, sparkly red package with a bright pink bow.

I raised my head, letting go of Mick's shirt and brushing my naturally straight brown hair back behind my ears with my hands. I wiped my eyes, taking a short breath, and addressed Amber, my voice in its usual snarky tone, "Were you really? Or is this just one of Nina's presents that she agreed to give to me so I wouldn't be left out?" Amber gawked at me, her mouth in a small "o", but I saw in her pretty blue eyes that there was a glimmer of guilt, and I knew I was right.

I turned away from her ashamed face, to face everyone else around me. "I can't believe I called you all my friends. The one year that I wanted you all to be by my side and celebrate my birthday, you all abandon me. For _her_. For a new _American_ girl, who completely stole my spot in the house. You all were so captivated by her that you forgot me, left me in the dirt . . . for her!" I pointed a shaking finger at Nina, who looked shocked and hurt at my accusations. I do not see why she was so appalled at my reaction-was she really that thick? She was to blame for all of this!

"Joy, please try to be reasonable here, we really did not mean to hurt your feelings-" Mara started.

"Just shut it, Mara!" I retorted.

"Now hold on, Joy," Jerome said. I saw that his icy eyes were as hard and cold as literal frost. "You're being a whiny little bitch, and that does _not_ mean you have to ruin this day for everyone!"

"Did you just call me a bitch?" I screeched, about to attack him. Mick grasped my arms, holding me back and allowing Jerome to avoid a clawed-up face. Mick whispered in my ear, "I would love to see you scratch out Jerome's eyes, but now is not the time, Joy. Save it for another day." I almost smiled at his comment, but at the moment I was a bit too angry to rationally think about what I should and should not do.

"What did you say, meathead?" Jerome shouted.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Patricia stood in front of Jerome while Mara held her boyfriend's arms back from punching Mick in the jaw. Apparently, they wanted to spin the conversation back to me because Patricia said, "Joy, please try to talk about this rationally. We really didn't mean to forget you, it's just it was the first time celebrating with Nina and-"

I swiveled around to face her. "And you, Patricia! I thought you of all people would stand by my side and never forget about me! We were best friends and then you just betray me and buddy up with this little slut of a person-"

"Joy. Don't you dare call Nina that."

Fabian's voice held such a warning, it sent a shiver down my spine. I met his eyes. I saw that they were hard as steel, unforgiving, and, maybe, with a bit of hatred? No, it could not be, Fabian could never hate me.

I saw that he was holding a regretful Nina in his arms. I bristled at the sight. "Nina, stop wallowing in Fabian's arms and face me," I challenged. "Don't be a fucking coward."

Nina inhaled sharply when I called her name. When she finally looked up, I saw that she had a few tears on her cheeks, but her eyes were blazing. The tears astonished me for a moment, so the next thing she did was unexpected. She walked out of Fabian's arms to look at me, raised a hand and slapped me across the face. Then, she began to speak: "Joy, I'm sorry that you're day was ruined because of me. But just because we share the same birthday, and our friends wanted to celebrate _our_ birthday with my interests in mind, it does not mean you can be a complete bitch to me. Before you start to judge me, take a look at your own pathetic life and figure out what you want to do about it."

"Wow, newbie grew a backbone," I heard Alfie whisper.

I pressed a hand over my stinging red cheek, still stunned that she had slapped me. Nina pivoted on her heel and marched off, not saying another word to me. Like a dog at her heel, Fabian walked with her without saying anything. Jerome and Mara followed shortly. Amber, her eyes watering and looking like a hurt puppy, trailed behind them, with Alfie behind her. Patricia and Mick were the only ones left, and they gave me a pitiful look.

Patricia walked forward, shaking her head. "You've really screwed up, Joy. Here's your damn gift."She tossed a blue-wrapped box with a purple bow at my feet. I immediately thought, _Was this Nina's gift beforehand?_ The box was about the size of a box of tissues; oh no, did she just give me tissues? Lovely gift, "best friend."

Patricia then marched away in her tall brown boots to follow her Anubis "buddies", her dark purple skirt flowing in the wind around her knees. She never looked back to apologize, take my side, or even to just give me one last glance.

I turned to the last person who stood beside me. Mick gave me a neutral expression: not condescending, nor pitiful, not even angered-just neutral.

"Here, I got you _and_ Nina a present." Mick asked. Instead of just dropping the gift at my feet, he actually handed it to me. He held up a blue envelope. "This was for Nina. You got the bigger present, you happy?" He shook his head. "I'm not one to scold someone, but even you have to admit that you took this too far."

I scoffed, outraged that he took her side. "I did not! She was-"

"Let me finish, please." Mick held up a hand which silenced me. He was never this stern. "Ever since you've come back, you've been very selfish about everything. You keep repeating that Nina had replaced you in everything, but she did not do it on purpose. I remember several times where she apologized for doing anything to hurt your precious feelings, but you never seemed to care."You know, I have been on your side ever since you came back. When people would talk about you in rumors, I stood up for you and told them to shut it. But you've been ruining your own reputation by being a complaining little child. Why couldn't you be happy with just being back with your friends, your true family?"

I never spoke during his tirade, and afterwards, I felt empty and hollow on the inside. I knew I had screwed up, but the problem was: I had no idea on how to fix it.

"Open it," Mick said.

I nodded, tilting my head down to examine the box in my hands. It was delicately wrapped with a creamy paper, where little golden flowers were scrawled in a specific pattern. There was a pale red ribbon that wrapped around the present, ending at the center with an elegantly made bow. I untied the bow, letting the ribbon fall to the pavement, and lifted the lid of the box.

Inside was one of prettiest things I had ever seen. Tucking the lid in the crook of my arm, I stroked the clear facets of the crystal that hung at the center of the necklace with my free hand. There was a crystal in the shape of a teardrop at the middle of a sterling silver chain. The chain was made of little loops that twined together and ended in a toggle clasp, and in the center of each loop was a small diamond. In the bright sunlight, the facets threw little rainbows with even the tiniest movement. It was exquisite and must have cost him a fortune.

"Mick, it's wonderful. How did you afford this?" I asked, looking around. He was not there. While I was fawning over my gift, I had not noticed him leaving. I was now truly alone, with a shattered heart and no one at my side. I had a beautiful gift, but no one to share it.

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><p>So, Joy really screwed up this time! As you can probably tell, Mick is really sweet in this story and has grown smarter, just like Nina has grown a backbone. Hope you guys enjoyed, and sorry for the wait.<p>

Next chapter soon!

~Ary


	4. Forgiveness Is A Virtue

Disclaimer: House of Anubis I own. Not.

A little Joy forgiveness and empathy. Spills her guts and cries her heart out, again. Enjoy.

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><p>Chapter 4: Forgiveness Is A Virtue<p>

I called a cab once more to go home. I did not want to go back to Amber's house and face the music, or any of my housemates. At least not yet.

The entire way home, I stared out the window and did not say anything or think about anything. I felt completely numb inside.

What I had said to everyone just a few short moments ago, it was not me. It felt like an entirely different person had stepped into my body, kicked my _real_ self out, and took over, being a bitch to everyone.

Okay, yes, my friends forgot about my birthday, but that did not qualify to become a major bitch to all of my friends. And yes, Nina was the main attraction like she always was, but that does not mean I should cuss her out and call her mean names. I felt awful for yelling at everyone.

When I arrived at my house, I silently handed the man his money, then got out, slowly trudging along with each step. Surprisingly I had found the same cab as before, and I numbly heard the man yell after me, "No comeback now?"

I lifted my hand in a wave like before, unlocking the door with my key and walking inside. My father was nowhere to be seen, in fact, the house looked pretty empty of anything. It was as if it had not been touched for ages.

"Dad?" I called.

No answer.

I dropped my purse on the little table near the front door that had a small vase of flowers as decoration, which landed with a loud thud that echoed around the seemingly empty house.

I slowly ascended the stairs, wondering what he was doing. He was still here, I would have seen the screen door closed behind the front door, but it had been wide open, saying he was here.

When I reached the landing, I continued to the master bedroom, where my father slept, where my mother used to sleep at night. I ignored the sudden ache in my heart that I felt at remembering her, but fingered the glass earrings I wore. She had bought them for my thirteenth birthday, after I had gotten my ears pierced. I remembered what she had said with such clarity, as if she had just told me moments ago, "Now you are no longer a pretty _girl_, but a lovely young _woman."_

Oh god, I missed her so much. _I wonder if Dad has any old family photos?_ I asked myself.

The door to the master bedroom was already a little ajar, so I pushed it open and saw my dad looking at old photo albums. There was a large box at his feet marked "Family Memories", full of large leather binders full of old memories from when I was a child and when life was so much simpler. He held one brown binder that held laminated photos from so long ago, and with each photo, especially one of my mother, another tear slipped down his cheek.

He sat on the bed, hunched over as he looked over each picture, and stroking the smooth, clear cover of them. I decided to sit next to him, trying not to jostle the bed to much so I would not startle him. When the bed creaked, he slowly lifted his chin to look at me.

His face was a bit haggard, with his eyes bloodshot and circles underneath them. His gray hair was impossible to ruffle, because of its short length, but I could tell he had not combed it in a while. Silent tears fell down his face, though he made no motion to wipe them away.

I wanted to ask, Where is the proud, fearless father I had once known? Who is this man that sits before me, with tears in his eyes and a broken heart? This is not my father, the one I had always looked up to. The one man who would never stop loving me no matter what I did.

But I could not say that. Partly because I knew he really was the fearless father I had always looked up to, but he was only human. Everyone has to cry sometime. The father I knew was still there, encased within this weak man, fighting to get out, but at the moment, emotions ruled above all. And the main reason I did not judge him was because I felt the same way.

I had once been the strong leader that never cried, who stood above everyone else, above all of my friends. I was the impenetrable one that was never affected by anyone. I was the one who kept my cool even in the worst of situations.

What happened to that girl?

Who is this feeble person who cries all of the time, with no well-protected wall to shield her heart and mind from any emotional damage like this? This is not Joy Mercer. This is some other person who can not handle grief. This is a person who is just weak and defenseless, a person who needs help from everyone and is dependent on her friends to hold her up.

No, I was not that girl. I could not be. This was just one thing, a phase. I was going to be the solid leader that could never be broken by anything. Right?

My father finally spoke in a croaky voice, as if he had not spoken in years, "Joy, princess, why did I get involved in all of this society stuff? Why did I want to be immortal? Am I afraid of death so I won't end up like your mother-being so young and full of life that having it snatched away would be a crime?

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I had to put you through that. You didn't deserve it. No one is supposed to live forever, it's not rational. We all have to die eventually. And based on that Elixir of Life, if one person has to die, then it's one more reason not to become immortal.

"Do you forgive me, darling?" he asked.

"Of course, Daddy," I replied, my voice in a choked sob, as I threw my arms around his neck and cried for the second time today.

We cried together, while he stroked my hair and weeped silent tears. I finally let it all out, soon running out of breath from the amount of crying I was doing. I did not want to hold it in anymore. I did not want to be the fearsome leader of the group anymore. I just wanted to be human: to have emotions, let myself make mistakes, and not have to be the steadfast barrier that would fix any error made.

I just wanted to be normal once again.

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><p>Sorry for sounding philosophical near the end. I had just been reading the Iliad and was in a prose-y mood. (:<p>

You know what sucks? Having your friends have dates to the dance, but you not having one and having to go alone or as a third wheel. I think I'm gonna write something else while I'm in this mood...

So review. And stuff. Bye.

~Ary


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